How to Write & Copyright a Music Parody

Music is a great tool when writing a parody.

Making a music parody is an entertaining way to poke fun at your favorite songs by putting your own comedic twists on the original lyrics. Parodies of famous songs have been popular for several decades and have been effectively used to expose brilliant comedians to wider audiences through both Internet and television. If you have a knack for comedy, writing and copyrighting your own music parody is a simple process.

Instructions

1. Choose a song to parody. The song of choice should be popular, with a distinct beat that will be recognizable to most people without the original lyrics.

2. Compose your original comedic lyrics. Twist the original lyrics so that your parody makes fun of the song or the topic of the song. Try to make your new lyrics flow as well as the original did by using words with about the same number of syllables as the original verses.

3. Copyright your new song. Visit the U.S. Copyright Office's website at copyright.gov and follow the directions to file a copyright registration. This costs $35, and it can take four to five months for you to receive your copyright certificate.

Tips & Warnings

• If your lyrics are too similar to the original song, you may be in danger of copyright infringement. Be original and create your own lyrics to avoid this.

References

• U.S. Copyright Office Forms
• Am I Right: Parody Song Writing Tips

Resources

• Online Copyright Registration